Can a Year on a Farm Based on Animal, Vegetable, Miracle Work?

AFAM Environmental History & Black History Month Without Carter G. Woodson?

Published on 2012-02-07 13:31:36

February is Black History Month. Carter G. Woodson, the father of African American history, started it all in 1926 with Negro History Week. Woodson was strategic deciding on the second week of February between Frederick Douglass’ and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays for that special week devoted to African American history. Douglass was born enslaved in Talbot … Keep reading →

Black Churches and a New Generation of Protest: New York Times Opinion Page

Published on 2012-02-03 07:23:16

Black Churches and a New Generation of Protest: New York Times Opinion Page Saving People and the EnvironmentDianne D. Glave, the pastor of Crafton United Methodist Church in Pittsburgh, Pa., is the author of “Rooted in the Earth: Reclaiming the African American Environmental Heritage” and a co-editor, with Mark Stoll, of “To Love the Wind and the Rain: African Americans and Environmental History.” Keep reading →

2012 Helpshop: Where Environment, Spirituality, and Health Meet

Published on 2012-01-31 08:27:52

The Greensburg District of the United Methodist Church (UMC) held their Helpshop on January 28, 2012 at Community Church in Irwin, Pennsylvania. The theme was “Mind, Body and Spirit” with Tanika Harris, the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) of the UMC, serving as the keynote speaker. At the GBGM, “she provides resources as well as … Keep reading →

Pittsburgh 2: Forged Steel, Flowing Rivers

Published on 2012-01-19 16:28:27

Water is the equivalent of the allure of the proverbial sirens. Finding my way to water is a compelling obesseive draw. There’s something in my DNA that always lures me back to the water. A river, an ocean. I get happy about a glass of water. It’s Jamaica, it’s the Caribbean you know. Clear blue … Keep reading →

She-Wolf: Transitioning to the New Year of 2012

Published on 2012-01-10 10:03:10

Right now I’m caught up in series of novels titled Game of Thrones, and the HBO series based on the novels.  Creatures called dire wolves–from the Ice Age and now extinct–are central to one of many over-lapping  story-lines, with dire wolves in symbiotic relationship with young royals. 2011 transitioned so quickly cart-wheeling into 2012, and … Keep reading →

2012 State of Diversity and the Environment Blog Carnival

Published on 2012-01-03 10:06:36

Welcome to the third Rooted in the Earth Blog Carnival! People of color faced many obstacles in 2010 and 2011 including higher rates of unemployment during the Great Recession and increased conservatism concerning diversity/ethnicity in the US. There has also been much to celebrate with an African American president and a growing Latina/o population. I … Keep reading →

Magnolias in Pittsburgh: Walking Part 1

Published on 2012-01-02 08:04:16

I took  “Walking Pittsburgh: The Ultimate Walking Tour of Downtown Pittsburgh,” a Publication of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on a cold December day. I often slide into  jaded mode: living and working in a city rejecting being a tourist. Nope. I am going to get to know my new city even if I creep along doing … Keep reading →

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Published on 2011-11-06 19:32:10

I always feel sad when I remember a visit to The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Social Change in Atlanta, Georgia. The eternal flame was not lit. The foundation for the flame was cracked. The precious historical ephemera documenting King’s life were in a small exhibition moldering because of poor ventilation. I smelled the … Keep reading →

Monuments in Our National Parks

Published on 2011-10-31 08:33:09

Audrey and Frank Peterman wrote a wonderful book titled Legacy on the Land: A Black Couple Discovers Our National Inheritance and Tells Why Every American Should Care. As a couple, Audrey and Frank visited and continue to visit national parks. Out of their experiences and hard work, they are two leading black environmentalists in the … Keep reading →

Kentucky, African Americans & the Environment

Published on 2011-10-29 13:43:00

Kentucky has a long history of African Americans and the environment. Much like other states in the South, Kentucky benefited from the labor of enslaved people of African descent. At the peak of tobacco and hemp production, African Americans comprised 25% of the population, many of whom were enslaved in the state. So basically, the … Keep reading →